AFA Women's Tennis Media Guide

Page 1

2011-12 Media Guide


TABLE OF CONTENTS / FALCON FACTS What’s Inside 1 ..................................................................................... Falcon Facts 2 ................................................................ Head Coach Kim Gidley 3 ..................................................... Assistant Coach Nick Dargene 4 ..............................................Support Staff / In The Community 5-6 ............................................................................. Season Preview 7-14.......................................................................Meet The Falcons

Falcon Facts School Information Location ........................................................USAFA, Colo. 80840 Founded ..................................................................................... 1954 Enrollment ............................................................................... 4,000 Nickname ............................................................................. Falcons Colors ....................................................................... Blue and Silver Affiliation ............................................................................NCAA I Conference .............................................................Mountain West Home Courts ........................AFA Intercollegiate Tennis Courts Superintendent ...................................Lt. Gen. Michael C. Gould Athletic Director ...................................................Dr. Hans Mueh Associate AD/Intercollegiate Programs..................Marti Gasser

15 .................................................................. Where Are They Now 16 ........................................................................Division II History 17 ......................................................................... Division I History 18 ..............................................Year-by-Year / Coaching Records 19 ........................................... Academic / Sportsmanship Awards 20 ............................Sports Medicine / Human Performance Lab 21 ........................................................ Mountain West Conference 22 ....................................................................................The USAFA 23 ...........................................................USAFA Senior Leadership

Coaching Staff Head Coach ................................................................... Kim Gidley Alma Mater ............................................... Southern Illinois, 1989 Office Phone ...........................................................(719) 333-2489 E-Mail ........................................................ Kim.Gidley@usafa.edu School Record ...................................................165-187 (13 years) Career Record .......................................................................... Same Assistant Coach: ................................Nick Dargene (Iowa, 2003)

Team Information 2010-11 Record........................................................................16-11 Postseason ............................................0-1 @ MWC Tournament Letterwinners Ret./Lost ..............................................................4/3 Newcomers.......................................................................................4

24 ..................................................................... Director of Athletics 25 ...........................................................................USAFA Athletics

Credits

Athletic Communications Associate AD/Communications ...........................Troy Garnhart Women’s Tennis SID ...................................................Jerry Cross Office Phone ...........................................................(719) 333-3950 Office Fax ................................................................(719) 333-3798 E-Mail ......................................................... Jerry.Cross@usafa.edu Website ..............................................www.goairforcefalcons.com

The 2011-12 women’s tennis media guide is a product of the Air Force Academy’s athletic communications office. The guide was written and designed by assistant communications director Jerry Cross using Adobe InDesign desktop publishing software. Thanks to Madeline McGuire for the cover designs and the athletic communications office for editing assistance. Individual and action photos courtesy of DenMar Services.

Mountain West Commissioner..................................................... Craig Thompson Associate Commissioner/Communications....... Javan Hedlund Tennis Contact .....................................................Zach Eisendrath Office Phone ...........................................................(719) 488-4046 Office Fax ................................................................(719) 487-7241 E-Mail .................................................. zeisendrath@themwc.com Mailing Address ......................... 15455 Gleneagle Dr., Suite 200 ...........................................................Colorado Springs, CO 80921 Website ..............................................................www.themwc.com

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 1


HEAD COACH KIM GIDLEY Kim Gidley is in her 14th season as head coach of the women’s tennis team at the Air Force Academy. The first civilian head coach in the 31-year history of the program, Gidley became the winningest coach in the history of the program in 2003 with her 76th victory. She recorded her 100th career victory during the 2005-06 season against South Dakota State. She enters the ‘11-12 campaign with a 165-187 career record. Gidley has led the Falcons to consecutive 16-win seasons and the 32 wins are the most in a two-year spen since the 1999 and 200 seasons (34). She also led her team to a 12-match winning streak last season, the longest since Air Force moved to Division I status in 1996. Even though she is a civilian coach, Gidley is familiar with military life. She grew up in a military family as her father, Jim, was a Lt. Col. in the Air Force and retired in 1977 after 22 years of service. Prior to joining the Academy’s staff, Gidley was an assistant coach at the University of Idaho in 1997-98. Gidley is a 1989 graduate of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. At SIUE, Gidley helped the Cougars to the 1989 NCAA Division II national championship while earning All-American honors for the second consecutive year. She was ranked nationally as high as No. 3 in singles and No. 5 in doubles during the year. The Abilene, Texas, native was also a standout in the classroom. She earned GTE Academic All-American honors and was SIUE’s top scholar-athlete. She was also awarded an ITCA academic postgraduate scholarship.

In 2008, Gidley was inducted into SIUE’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1988 and ‘89 championship teams. Prior to attending SIUE, Gidley attended Abilene Christian University. She lettered in tennis and won her first AllAmerican honor while leading the Wildcats to an NCAA Division II national runnerup finish. She was ranked No. 5 nationally in singles and No. 6 in doubles. Gidley was also invited to the 1984 Olympic Trials for tennis. Following graduation, Gidley began her coaching career as the assistant women’s coach at West Virginia University . While at WVU, she earned her master’s degree in gifted education in 1991. She then returned to her hometown to coach at her high school alma mater, Abilene High School. She was an assistant from 1990-93 and head coach from 199397. Gidley’s coaching experience and success is not limited to the high school and collegiate ranks. She has held several assistant and head professional positions at various country clubs and municipal tennis centers, while coaching some of the best junior players in the country. Gidley worked with the No. 1 ranked male and female players from Kentucky, Texas and West Virginia. In addition, she has coached over 300 USTA sectionally ranked players and many nationally ranked juniors, including one former player with a world ranking and two former AllAmericans. Additionally, she twice served as a clinician at the Youth through Education and Sports program (Y.E.S.) held at the NCAA Tournament, coached the USTA Intermountain Boys & Girls 16s National Zonal Team from 2001-03 and coached the USTA Intermountain Girls 18s Federation Cup Team from 2002-07. Gidley also served on the NCAA Division I Central Region ranking committee. She currently sits on the Regional Advisory Committee for Division I women’s tennis and the ITA Operating Committee. Gidley belongs to several professional tennis organizations, including the United States Professional Tennis Association. She has been honored twice by the USPTA as the Intermountain College Coach of the Year, most recently in March of 2008. Among her other awards, she received the USTA/ITA National Community Outreach Award for 2009 as well as USAFA’s Instructor of the Semester for lifetime sports.

2 -- Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12

THE GIDLEY FILE Hometown Abilene, Texas Education Southern Illinois Univ.-Edwardsville Edwardsville, Ind. B.S., Education, 1989 West Virginia Univ. Morgantown, W.V. M.A, Gifted Education, 1991 Playing Experience SIU-Edwardsville 1985-89 Four-year letterwinner All-American, 1987-89 Ranked No. 3 in singles nationally Ranked No. 5 in doubles nationally GTE Academic All-American Coaching Experience Air Force, Head Coach 1998-present

Univ. of Idaho, Assistant Coach 1997-98

Abilene High School, Head Coach 1993-97

Abilene High School, Assistant Coach 1990-93

West Virginia U., Grad. Assistant Coach 1989-90


ASSISTANT COACH NICK DARGENE Nick Dargene is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Air Force women’s tennis program. The program has thrived in his three years at the Academy. After recording just six victories in the season prior to his arrival, the Falcons have won 42 in his three seasons at USAFA. Last year, Dargene helped the team to its second consecutive 16-win season and was named the 2011 Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Before joining the Falcon coaching staff, Dargene spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the women’s tennis team at the University of Wyoming. Prior to working at Wyoming, he spent three years as a volunteer assistant tennis coach and administrative intern at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. During that time, he served as the head tennis professional and program coordinator at the University Athletic Club (June 2004-June 2006), while providing tennis lessons for the University of Iowa’s Recreation Services Department (June 2002-June 2006). His responsibilities included all aspects of tennis management at the club which entailed private lessons, junior programs, adult clinics and leagues. Dargene began his collegiate career as a student-athlete at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. He compiled winning records at the Nos. 2 and 3 singles positions and the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles spots. He was also honored as the NEC Athlete of the Week and received the Most Improved Athlete Award given by his team during his sophomore season. An avid tennis player, he started taking lessons at the age of five and began playing in junior tournaments when he was 12. Throughout his juniors career, he was a highlyranked USTA player in the Northern Illinois District, including being ranked number one in the USTA boys 18 and under in 1998. In high school, Dargene was a three-time state qualifier earning all-conference honors twice and all-state once. During that time, he was named the team MVP as a junior and senior, while being named a team captain. Dargene earned a bachelor’s of business administration in marketing with a minor in political science from the University of Iowa in 2003. He completed his master’s in sports and health studies from Iowa in December of 2006. In the fall of 2010, Nick was named instructor of the semester for lifetime sports. at the Academy.

THE DARGENE FILE Hometown Rockford, Ill.

Education University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa B.BA., Marketing, 2003 University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa M.A., Sports and Health Studies, 2006

Playing Experience Monmouth University West Long Branch, N.J. Most Improved Player, 2001 Played Nos. 2 and 3 singles Played Nos. 1 and 2 doubles

Coaching Experience Air Force, Assistant Coach 2008Wyoming, Assistant Coach 2006-08 University of Iowa, Administrative Intern 2004-06 University Athletic Club (Iowa City, IA) Head Tennis Professional 2004-06

Nick Dargene and his father, Mark Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 3


SUPPORT STAFF / CAMPUS KIDS DAY LT. COL. JOHN PEAK OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE Lt. Col. John Peak is in his second season as an officer representative for the women’s tennis program. Peak is currently deputy head and assistant professor in the department of chemistry at the Academy. He earned a B.S. in chemistry from Wright State University as a 4-year ROTC scholarship winner with distinction in 1988, earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Wright State University in 1989, and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2007. Peak has served in various assignments as a navigator in the KC-135 and T-43 aircraft as well as serving as an adjunct instructor for the USAF’s test pilot school at Edwards AFB, CA. During his thirteen years as an operational navigator, he has been stationed at Beale AFB, Calif., Fairchild AFB, Wash.,, RAF Mildenhall, UK as well as Randolph AFB, Texas. During these assignments, he has flown in and/or supported OPERATIONS DESERT STORM, DESERT FOX, NOBLE ANVIL, ALLIED FORCE, SILVER WAKE, VILGILENT WARRIOR, PROVIDE COMFORT, NORTHERN WATCH, SOUTHERN WATCH, and ENDURING FREEDOM Peak has been awarded the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters and the Meritorious Services medal with one oak leaf cluster as well as being awarded the honor of USAFE Flight Safety officer of the Year. Peak, who is scheduled to retire from the Air Force in the spring of 2012, has two children, Cameron and Kelsey.

LT. COL. CHRISTOPHER SOLO OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE Lt. Col. Christopher Solo is in his second season as an Officer Representative and tutor for the women’s tennis program. Solo currently teaches operations research and probability and statistics courses as an assistant professor in the department of mathematical sciences. He earned a B.S. in mathematics from Penn State University in 1994, a master’s degree in operations research from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 2004, and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering and operations research from Penn State University in 2009. He has previously served as an intelligence officer in the Republic of Korea and the Washington, D.C. area, as an acquisitions program manager at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and as an operations research analyst at Peterson AFB, Colorado. In addition, Solo has been awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and the basic parachutist badge. Solo, his wife, Susie, and their two children, Michael and Molly live in Colorado Springs.

USTA Campus Kids Day 2011-12 4 -- Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12


SEASON PREVIEW 2011-12 SCHEDULE

After producing a pair of 16-win seasons, the Air Force women’s tennis team enters the 2011-12 campaign with expectations as high as they’ve been in a long time. Granted, the loss of the 2011 AFA Female Athlete of the Year (Christen Monreal) and the career leader in singles wins during the Division I era (Sarah Cassman) will hurt, but a solid returning nucleus and a top-notch recruiting class should keep the Falcons on their positive roll. Head coach Kim Gidley enters her 14th campaign at Air Force as the program’s all-time leader with 165 victories. She has led the Falcons to 42 wins the last three years, the most in a three-year span since winning 43 from 2002-04. The Falcons will have to continue without two-time team MVP Monreal and Cassman, who graduated last spring after spending four years in the lineup. Gidley welcomes back four letterwinners from last season and one that sat out the ’10-11 campaign. Leading the way is senior Tahlia Smoke, who paced the team with 15 dual match singles wins and finished second with 24 overall doubles wins last season. She was 9-6 at the No. 3 spot and won all three of her matches at the No. 1 spot, which will be wide open after Monreal occupied it for the past two seasons.

Junior Melissa Cecil

Juniors Melissa Cecil and Hannah Dake are back, as is fellow junior Christine Molina, who sat out the 2010-11 season. Cecil backed up her outstanding freshman season (team-high 28 singles wins) with a solid 15-12 overall singles record. She was 14-10 in dual matches, including an impressive 13-6 record at the No. 2 spot. She is one of two returners that won two Mountain West matches last year, winning the No. 2 match against Colorado State and New Mexico, both in three sets. In doubles play, Cecil posted a team-high 25 doubles wins and was 16-10 at the No. 1 spot with Smoke.

Date Sept. 16-18

Opponent Time/Result Coll. of Charleston Invite All Day

Oct. 12-15

ITA Mountain Regionals All Day

Oct. 15

Texas-Permian Basin Colorado College

9 a.m. 12 p.m.

Oct. 21-23

Oregon Invitational

All Day

Nov. 11-13

SDSU Invitational

All Day

Jan. 20

Colorado

Jan. 21

Northern Colorado

1 p.m.

Feb. 3

New Mexico State

2 p.m.

Feb. 4

Northern Arizona

10 a.m.

Feb. 5

UTEP

Feb. 10

Nebraska

Feb. 11

Northern Iowa

Feb. 24

Metro State Denver

Feb. 25

Western New Mexico CSU-Pueblo

Mar. 3

Portland

Mar. 4

Portland State

9 a.m.

Mar. 16

Seattle Univ.

3 p.m.

Mar. 17

Eastern Washington

3 p.m.

Mar. 24

TCU*

9 a.m.

Mar. 25

New Mexico*

2 p.m.

Apr. 7

UNLV*

2 p.m.

Apr. 8

San Diego State*

10 a.m.

Apr. 14

Boise State*

10 a.m.

Apr. 20

Colorado State*

4 p.m.

Apr. 21

Wyoming*

2 p.m.

Apr. 26-29

MW Championships#

4:30 p.m.

9 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 2 p.m. 10 a.m. 7 p.m. TBA TBA 10 a.m.

TBA

Home Matches in Bold * Mountain West Match # San Diego, CA Times are local to site

Senior Tahlia Smoke

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 5


SEASON PREVIEW Dake, meanwhile, went 9-7 in singles play after sitting out the fall tournament season last year. She split her time between the Nos. 4 and 5 spots and is expected to move up the ladder significantly this season. She also went 12-5 at the No. 3 doubles spot with Cassman and was 16-6 overall. Molina finished second on the team with 27 singles wins as a freshman two years ago. She was 18-9 in dual matches and played at least one match at all six spots. Anastasia Hueffner is the lone sophomore on the roster in ’11-12. She was one of only two Falcons (Cassman) to have at least 20 singles and doubles wins last season. She was rock solid at the No. 5 spot, producing an 11-8 record and was the lone Falcon victor in a 6-1 loss to Wyoming, winning the No. 5 match in three sets. Hueffner, who also won the No. 5 match against New Mexico, won 16 doubles matches with Monreal and four with Voight.

The four-person recruiting class is led by Tiffany Tran (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), who is expected to play close to the top of the lineup this season. Tran comes to the Academy with two junior titles to her credit, including the girls 16-and-under US Clay Court championship.

Junior Hannah Dake

Also joining the Falcon program this season are Marcelli Magday (Arlington, Texas), Ali Preiss (La Canada, Calif.) and Natasha Rizvi (Frisco, Texas). Magday earned a No. 37 ranking in the state of Texas and placed second at the state tournament in each of her four years in high school. Preiss won the Manhattan Beach Junior Open a couple of years ago, while Rizvi played at the prestigious St. Stephen’s Academy in Texas.

2011-12 Roster Name Melissa Cecil

Yr. 5-6

Hgt. Jr.

Hometown / Previous School Huntington Beach, CA / Ocean View

Hannah Dake

5-5

Jr.

Excelsior, MN / Southwest Christian

Anastasia Hueffner

5-7

So.

Portland, OR / Lincoln

Marcelli Magday

5-2

Fr.

Arlington, TX / Nolan Catholic

Christine Molina

5-4

Jr.

Dallas, TX / Ursuline Academy of Dallas

Ali Preiss

5-2

Fr.

La Canada, CA / Flintridge Prep

Natasha Rizvi

5-6

Fr.

Frisco, TX / St. Stephen’s School

Tahlia Smoke

5-5

Sr.

Belmar, NJ / Manasquan

Tiffany Tran

5-6

Fr.

Laguna Niguel, CA / Penn Foster

Head Coach: Kim Gidley Assistant Coach: Nick Dargene 6 -- Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12


MEET THE FALCONS

TAHLIA SMOKE Class | Senior Height | 5-5 Hometown | Belmar, NJ Previous School | Manasquan HS Major | Behavioral Science

2010-11 (Junior) Finished second on the team with 43 overall wins and 24 doubles victories ... went 24-16 overall and 16-10 in dual matches with Melissa Cecil ... the duo played all of their dual matches at the No. 1 spot ... most wins at No. 1 doubles since Kat Bushey and Christine Abayan had 18 in 2006 ... they won two MWC matches at the top spot, defeating Colorado State and New Mexico ... finished third on the squad with 19 singles wins, including a 15-10 mark in dual matches ... went 9-6 at No. 3 and a perfect 3-0 at the No. 1 spot ... named MWC Player of the Week twice. 2009-10 (Sophomore) Became AFA’s first nationally ranked player in Division I era (1996) with a ranking of No. 102 during the fall when she went 5-0 in singles ... posted a 21-12 overall singles record and was 16-12 in dual matches ... won the “C” flight at the Cal State-Northridge Matador Invitational ... played from the No. 1 to No. 5 position in the spring ... majority of her matches were at the No. 2 spot ... played three regionally ranked and one nationally ranked player ... won two MWC matches, the No. 2 matches against New Mexico and Colorado State ... played doubles with five different teammates throughout the campaign. 2008-09 (Freshman) Won 12 overall singles matches, including tying for the team lead with eight during the fall tournament season ... went 4-1 in dual matches, all at the No. 4 spot ... won seven doubles matches. Before Air Force Four-year letterwinner in tennis ... won New Jersey state singles championship as a senior ... posted a perfect 30-0 record ... finished her high school career with a 110-10 record ... became first-ever state singles champion from her high school ... three-time first-team all-section pick ... first-team all-state as a senior ... two-time second-team all-state selection ... led team to three sectional championships ... high school tennis coach was Rodney Ravaioli. Personal Parents are Alan and Kim Smoke ... has two brothers, Jarrad (23) and Maclane (17) and one sister, Farrah (19) ... her brother Jarrad is a 2010 graduate of Navy and played tennis for the Midshipmen ... worked Basic Cadet Training as a flight officer this past summer ... also worked for Summer Support ... active in her squadron as the director of operations (second in command), coordinating the squadron’s operational functions with the flight commanders ... hobby is surfing ... favorite food is pizza ... favorite book is The Girl Who Played With Fire ... favorite TV show is Glee ... favorite movie is Inception ... person in history she would most like to meet is Thomas Jefferson ... greatest moment in sports was rallying from three match points down with Melissa Cecil to beat the University of Montana at No. 1 doubles and clinch the doubles point ... credits her parents with the biggest influence on his sports career ... member of cadet squadron 14.

Smoke’s Career Stats Year 2009 2010 2011 Totals

Dual 4-1 16-12 15-10 35-23

Singles Open 8-10 5-0 4-8 17-18

Overall 12-11 21-12 19-18 52-41

Dual 0-4 4-8 16-10 20-22

Doubles Open 7-10 1-1 8-6 16-17

Overall 7-14 5-9 24-16 36-39

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 7


MEET THE FALCONS

MELISSA CECIL Class | Junior Height | 5-6 Hometown | Huntington Beach, CA Previous School | Ocean View HS Major | Legal Studies

2010-11 (Sophomore) Led the team with 25 overall doubles wins ... went 24-16 overall and 16-10 in dual matches with Tahlia Smoke ... the duo played all of their dual matches at the No. 1 spot ... most wins at No. 1 doubles since Kat Bushey and Christine Abayan had 18 in 2006 ... they won two MWC matches at the top spot, defeating Colorado State and New Mexico ... posted a 15-12 overall and 14-12 dual match record in singles ... went 13-6 at the No. 2 spot, including two conference wins. 2009-10 (Freshman) Led the team with 28 singles wins, the most by a Falcon in the Division I era (1996) and since Laura Simmons won 31 matches during the 1993-94 season ... finished with a 28-12 overall record ... named the MWC Player of the Week and the USAFA Athlete of the Week in January ... team-high 19 dual match wins (19-6 record) ... won 17 of 19 matches at one point ... played from No. 2 to No. 6 position, had winning record at all five spots, including 4-1 mark at No. 2 ... posted a 4-4 record against MWC opponents, the best record since Laura Nigro went 4-3 in 2004 ... finished third in the No. 2 flight at the USAFA Invitational ... won 16 doubles matches and went 13-13 in dual matches ... paired with fellow freshman Hannah Dake to go 10-4 at the No. 1 spot. Before Air Force Three-year letterwinner in tennis ... two-time league champion in doubles (2007 & 2008) ... won singles league championship in 2005 ... led team to two league championships ... ranked No. 52 in Southern California Section and No. 182 nationally for 18-andunder ... high school tennis coach was David Deaton. Personal Parents are Jeff and Anh Cecil ... has one sister, Katie (17) ... completed Operation Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio this past summer ... also worked the Global Engagement program ... would like to attend pilot training following her time at the Academy ... also recruited by UC Riverside and Denver ... active in her squadron as an element leader ... hobbies include reading and taking naps ... favorite food is chicken curry ... favorite TV show is NCIS ... favorite movie is The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King ... favorite musical groups are Linkin Park and The Killers ... favorite book is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ... person in history she would most like to meet is Bruce Lee ... credits her family with the biggest influence on his sports career ... member of cadet squadron 21.

Cecil’s Career Stats Year 2010 2011 Totals

Dual 19-6 14-10 33-16

Singles Open 9-6 1-2 10-8

Overall 28-12 15-12 43-24

8 -- Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12

Dual 13-13 17-10 30-23

Doubles Open 3-5 8-6 11-11

Overall 16-18 25-16 41-34


MEET THE FALCONS

HANNAH DAKE Class | Junior Height | 5-5 Hometown | Excelsior, MN Previous School | Southwest Christian HS Major | Humanities

2010-11 (Sophomore) Posted a 9-7 singles record in the spring ... did not play during the fall tournament season ... went 6-2 at the No. 4 spot and 3-3 at No. 5 ... had a 16-6 overall doubles record, including a 15-6 mark with Sarah Cassman ... the duo won a team-high three MWC matches and went 12-5 at the No. 3 spot. 2009-10 (Freshman) Finished fourth on the team with 22 singles victories ... posted a 15-11 mark in dual matches, including a 10-10 record at the No. 3 spot ... also went 3-1 at No. 2 and 2-0 at No. 4 ... finished third in the No. 6 flight at the USAFA Invitational ... went 14-14 overall in doubles and 13-12 at the No. 1 position ... had a 10-4 mark with Melissa Cecil at the top spot. Before Air Force Ranked in the top two for her age group in the USTA Northern Section since she was 12 ... ranked in the top 80 nationally in 16-and-under age group and around 100 nationally as an 18-and-under player ... high school did not have tennis. Personal Parents are Scott and Joanne Dake ... has one older sister, Alanna ... completed Operation Air Force at Cannon AFB, N.M., this past summer ... also worked Basic Cadet Training as an element leader ... active in her squadron as the squadron superintendent, serving as the primary advisor to the squadron commander, and the personal ethics and education representative (PEER) ... also recruited by Army and Northern Illinois ... hobbies include ping-pong and bowling ... favorite food is sushi ... favorite TV show is Gilmore Girls ... favorite movie is Rocky II ... favorite book is The Bible ... person in history she would most like to meet is C.S. Lewis ... greatest moment in sports was defeating Utah in doubles with Sarah Cassman last season ... credits her family and personal coach, Felicia Tebon, with the biggest influence on his sports career ... member of cadet squadron 32.

Dake’s Career Stats Year 2010 2011 Totals

Dual 15-11 9-7 24-18

Singles Open 7-7 0-0 7-7

Overall 22-18 9-7 31-25

Dual 15-14 16-6 31-20

Doubles Open 3-8 0-0 3-8

Overall 18-22 16-6 34-28

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 9


MEET THE FALCONS

CHRISTINE MOLINA Class | Junior Height | 5-4 Hometown | Dallas, TX Previous School | Ursuline Academy of Dallas Major | Foreign Area Studies

2010-11 (Sophomore) Did not play. 2009-10 (Freshman) Finished second on the team with 27 overall singles wins ... posted a 27-15 record, including an 18-9 mark in dual matches ... her 18 dual match wins tied for second on the squad ... played all six positions during the season ... had a winning record at Nos. 2-6 and was 1-2 at the No. 1 spot ... played majority of her matches a the No. 4 spot, where she went 8-6 ... finished second on the team with three conference wins ... won at No. 4 against New Mexico, Utah and San Diego State ... won a team-high 23 overall and 18 dual doubles matches ... went 13-4 with Christen Monreal, including 11-3 at the No. 3 spot ... first Falcon to post 50 overall victories in one season since Kat Bushey in 2006. Before Air Force Four-year letterwinner in tennis ... two-time TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) state singles champion ... won titles as a junior and senior ... also won the TAPPS state doubles title as a sophomore ... helped team to state championship as a freshman ... ranked No. 11 in the state of Texas ... member of National Honor Society ... high school tennis coach was Meme Ostrom. Personal Parents are Joey and Julie Molina ... has two brothers, Joey (16) and Luke (13) ... would like to become a doctor in the future ... completed Operation Air Force at Andrews AFB, Washington D.C., this past summer ... also worked Basic Cadet Training ... active in her squadron as an element leader ... also recruited by St. Louis University ... hobbies include horseback riding and reading ... favorite food is Mexican food ... favorite TV show is The Office ... favorite movie is The Lion King ... favorite book is Harry Potter ... person in history she would most like to meet is Jesus ... greatest moment in sports was winning the high school state tournament as a senior ... credits her parents with the biggest influence on his sports career ... member of cadet squadron 21.

Molina’s Career Stats Year 2010 2011 Totals

Dual 18-9 DNP 18-9

Singles Open 9-6 9-6

Overall 27-15

Dual 18-7

27-15

18-7

10 -- Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12

Doubles Open 5-6 5-6

Overall 23-13 23-13


MEET THE FALCONS

ANASTASIA HUEFFNER Class | Sophomore Height | 5-7 Hometown | Portland, OR Previous School | Lincoln HS Major | Behavioral Science

2010-11 (Freshman) One of two Falcons to win at least 20 singles and doubles matches ... went 20-22 overall in singles, including a 14-12 mark in dual matches ... finished second on the team with 20 singles wins ... played the majority of her matches at the No. 5 spot where she went 11-8 ... also won 20 doubles matches, 16 of them with Christen Monreal. Before Air Force Four-year letterwinner in tennis ... led her high school team to the state championship as a senior ... three-time district doubles champion ... two-time state runner-up in doubles ... finished second in district for singles as a freshman ... ranked No. 2 in Oregon and No. 3 in the Pacific Northwest Section ... ranked 13th in the country in doubles in the girls’ 14 and under age group ... placed second twice in national doubles tournaments ... high school tennis coach was Sue Basham. Personal Parents are Bill and Marina Hueffner ... has two twin sisters, Allie and Kadie (16) ... nickname is “Tasha” ... completed Combat Survival Training this past summer ... also completed Global Engagement ... active in her squadron as an element NCO (Noncommissioned officer) ... also recruited by Army, Navy, Iowa State and Drake ... hobbies include golfing and hanging out with her friends ... favorite food is fruit ... favorite TV shows are Dexter and Glee ... favorite movie is Mean Girls ... favorite book is Something Borrowed ... person in history she would most like to meet is her great-grandfather on her mother’s side ... greatest moment in sports was getting to the consolation finals of an ATP tournament ... credits her father with the biggest influence on his sports career ... member of cadet squadron 19.

Hueffner’s Career Stats Year 2011

Dual 14-12

Singles Open 6-10

Overall 20-22

Dual 14-13

Doubles Open 6-9

Overall 20-22

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 11


MEET THE FALCONS

MARCELLI MAGDAY Class | Freshman Height | 5-2 Hometown | Arlington, TX Previous School | Nolan Catholic HS Major | Undecided Before Air Force Four-year letterwinner in tennis ... three-time team MVP selection ... placed second at the state tournament each of her four years ... ranked 37th in the state of Texas ... advanced to the quarterfinals of the Texas Summer Grand Slam in 2009 ... earned the TAPPS all-state academic award twice ... two-time winner of Arlington Super Championship Major Zone Sportsmanship Award ... member of National Honor Society ... high school tennis coach was Gaye Houk. Personal Parents are Raidell aqnd Ophelia Magday ... has two sisters, Molli (12) and Mica (7) ... interested in majoring in biology ... would like to attend pilot training following her time at the Academy ... hobbies include drawing and singing ... also recruited by Murray State ... favorite food is pan fried noodles ... favorite movie is Spirited Away ... favorite TV show is Avatar: The Last Airbender ... favorite musical group is Maroon 5 ... person in history she would most like to meet is her paternal grandfather, who served in the Philippine Army ... credits Ron Mercado, her coach at T Bar M Academy, with the biggest influence on her sports career ... member of cadet squadron 22.

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MEET THE FALCONS

NATASHA RIZVI Class | Freshman Height | 5-6 Hometown | Frisco, TX Previous School | St. Stephen’s School Major | Undecided Before Air Force Three-year letterwinner in tennis ... also lettered once in basketball, track and volleyball ... high school tennis coach was Carlos DiLaura. Personal Parents are Raza and Lubna Rizvi ... has one brother, Ali (19), who is a sophomore and plays on the men’s tennis team at the Academy ... interested in majoring in biology ... hobby is playing the piano ... also recruited by SMU, Emory, Baylor and John’s Hopkins ... favorite food is pasta ... favorite movie is She’s The Man ... favorite TV show is Modern Family ... favorite book is Jane Eyre ... favorite musical group is Lady Gaga ... person in history she would most like to meet is Teddy Roosevelt ... credits her father with the biggest influence on her sports career ... member of cadet squadron 2.

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 13


MEET THE FALCONS

TIFFANY TRAN Class | Freshman Height | 5-6 Hometown | Laguna Niguel, CA Previous School | Penn Foster HS Major | Undecided Before Air Force Won the US Clay Court Championship for Girls 16-and-under ... also won the 2006 Southern Open ... ranked the top 10 nationally for Girls 14-and under, top 30 for Girls 16-and under and top 100 for Girls 18-and under. Personal Parents are Bac and Tuyet-Nga Tran ... interested in majoring in business ... hobby is singing ... also recruited by Princeton, Pepperdine, Harvard and Navy ... favorite foods are lasagna and apple pie ... favorite movie is Tourist ... favorite TV show is So you think you can dance ... favorite book is Into the Wild ... favorite musical group is One Republic ... person in history she would most like to meet is Arthur Ashe ... credits her parents with the biggest influence on her sports career ... member of cadet squadron 18.

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MEET THE TEAM MANAGERS

ALI PREISS Class | Freshman Hometown | La Canada, CA Previous School | Flintridge Prep Major | Undecided

KATIE BROCK Class | Junior Hometown | Baton Rouge, LA Previous School | St. Joseph’s Academy Major | Foreign Area Studies – Africa Minor | Portuguese

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 15


DIVISION II HISTORY

National Champions 1989 Layla DeStaffany and Susan Wheeler (Doubles)

1991 Laura Simmons (Singles)

Laura Simmons with head coach Bob Swanson after the 1991 NCAA Tournament

DeStaffany (left) and Wheeler after winning the 1989 NCAA Division II Doubles Championship

All-Conference

All-Americans Layla DeStaffany

Susan Wheeler

1988 Doubles 1989 Doubles

1988 Singles and Doubles 1989 Singles and Doubles

Monica Davis

Laura Simmons

1989 Singles

1991 Singles 1992 Singles 1993 Singles and Doubles 1994 Singles and Doubles

Amanda Krantz

Christine Rilovick

1993 Doubles

1994 Doubles

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Colorado Athletic Conference 1991 Laura Simmons Jessica Talberg D’Ron Longino Kim Schroeder Gwen Summers

1993 Laura Simmons Kim Schroeder Christine Rilovick


DIVISION I HISTORY All-Conference

Division I Highlights 1998-99 - Junior NADINE LYNN defeats No. 72 Nadine Kenzlemen of Colorado, the first Top 75 win for a USAFA singles player. 1999-2000 - A 5-2 victory over No. 83 Utah at the MWC Tournament is the team’s first Division I Conference win. 2000-01 - Senior KRISTEL CHUNTRARUK splits sets with the 1999 NCAA Div. I Singles Champion and No. 1 player in the nation, Zuzeana Lesenarova of the University of San Diego. - Junior BROOKE PARSONS defeats No. 73 Anneliese Rose (Florida Int’l) and No. 106 Sanja Hanson (Colorado State). 2001-02 - Senior BROOKE PARSONS defeats No. 41 Paulina Janus (UNLV), No. 46 Irina Tereschenko (Texas Tech), No. 58 Becky Varnum (Notre Dame), No. 76 Yanick Dullens (Denver), No. 96 Lindsey Hedberg (San Diego State) and No. 106 Kristen Stubbs (Virginia Tech). - PARSONS posts the best record in the Mountain West Conference at No. 1 singles (6-1). - PARSONS becomes first USAFA player to participate in the Riviera All - American, also invited in doubles with partner LAURA NIGRO. - Doubles team of PARSONS & NIGRO defeats the No. 1 doubles team from No. 13 Notre Dame, No. 15 UNLV, No. 22 San Diego State, No. 38 BYU, No. 44 Southern Methodist, No. 64 Richmond and No. 75 Virginia Tech. - USAFA posts its first wins over nationally ranked teams - No. 44 Southern Methodist and No. 57 Texas Tech. - First time in USAFA history that a singles player (PARSONS #11), a doubles team (PARSONS/NIGRO #13) and the team (#13) receive a Central Regional Ranking. 2002-03 - Junior LAURA NIGRO defeats No. 46 Irina Tereshenko (Texas Tech), No. 50 Renate Stoop (Boise State), No. 82 Sandy Lukowski (New Mexico) and No. 138 Annette Bryntesson (Oklahoma State). - Senior HEATHER SHELBY defeats No. 72 Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV) and No. 76 Yanick Dullens (Denver). - USAFA defeats nationally ranked Texas Tech (No. 61). 2003-04 - Senior LAURA NIGRO defeats No. 72 Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV) and No. 81 Dita Haverlandova (San Diego State). - NIGRO is invited to play in the Riviera All- American, along with doubles partner, GINA BLACK. - NIGRO & BLACK defeat the NCAA doubles semi-finalists of 2003 (Missouri) and 2004 (New Mexico).

2004-05 - Junior KAT BUSHEY wins the MWC Sportsmanship Award. 2005-06 - Senior KAT BUSHEY and freshman CHRISTINE ABAYAN upset the No. 1 doubles seed and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Central Region Tourney - Beat two nationally ranked teams from BYU and set a new school record with 29 wins. 2006-07 - Senior KELLY MORGAN wins 24 overall singles matches, the most by a Falcon since Gina Black won 26 during the 2002-03 campaign. 2007-08 - Freshmen CHRISTEN MONREAL (21) and SARAH CASSMAN (20) became the first pair of freshmen to win 20 overall singles matches in the same season since Air Force moved to Division I. 2008-09 - Air Force won the doubles point vs. nationally ranked #21 TCU and # 57 Texas Tech. 2009-10 - Air Force finished the 2009-10 season with a 16-12 record, the best since Coach Gidley’s initial season in 1998-99 when they went 20-10. Gidley also led Air Force to two MWC wins, the most in a season since 2003 - Freshman MELISSA CECIL posted 28 overall singles wins, the most by a Falcon in the Division I era and the most since Laura Simmons won 31 during the 1994-95 season. - Five Falcons won at least 20 overall singles matches in one season for the first time in program history. - Junior SARAH CASSMAN became the first Falcon to win at least 20 overall singles matches in three straight season since moving to Division I. - Sophomore TAHLIA SMOKE became USAFA’s first female tennis player to acheive a Division I national Ranking at #102. - USAFA posted its first-ever shutoput over a Mountain West opponent, defeating New Mexico, 7-0. 2010-11 - Air Force posted its second conseutive 16-win season, producing the best two-year period for wins (32) since the 1999 and 2000 seasons (34). - Senior CHRISTEN MONREAL became the team’s first two-time MVP since Kat Bushey in 2006. - USAFA posted a 12-match winning streak, the longest since moving to Division I in ‘96. - For the first time in program history, the Falcons won three Mountain Region awards. Assistant coach NICK DARGENE was named the Assistant Coach of the Year, CHRISTEN MONREAL won the Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award and SARAH CASSMAN won the Arthur Ashe leadership Award.

Brooke Parsons 2002 Singles/Doubles 2001 Singles

Laura Nigro 2004 Singles/Doubles 2003 Singles/Doubles 2002 Doubles

Gina Black 2004 Doubles 2003 Doubles

Kat Bushey 2006 Singles

Christen Monreal 2011 Singles

Most Valuable Players Year ............................................................ Name 1980 ................................................. Gail Cooper 1981 ................................................. Gail Cooper 1982 .................................................. Chris Duffy 1983 ................................................ Emily Reghy 1984 ...................................................... Rita Lane 1985 ........................................... Tamaron Sharp 1986 ................................................ Tricia Heller 1987 ................................................ Tricia Heller 1988 .............................................Susan Wheeler 1989 ......................................... Layla DeStaffany 1990 .............................................. Leslie Skinner 1991 ........................................... Laura Simmons 1992 ........................................... Laura Simmons 1993 ........................................... Laura Simmons 1994 ........................................... Laura Simmons 1995 ...........................................Amanda Krantz 1996 ............................................... Misty Holder 1997 ............................................... Misty Holder 1998 ................................................Nadine Lynn 1999 .............................................. Kacy Mitchell 2000 ........................................... Brooke Parsons 2001 ........................................... Brooke Parsons 2002 ........................................... Brooke Parsons 2003 ................................................. Laura Nigro 2004 ................................................. Laura Nigro 2005 ...................................................Kat Bushey 2006 ...................................................Kat Bushey 2007 ...............................................Kelly Morgan 2008 .............................................Lauren Wilson 2009 ........................................Christine Abayan 2010 ........................................Christen Monreal 2011 ........................................Christen Monreal

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 17


YEAR-BY-YEAR / COACHING RECORDS Year 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

W 4 8 8 4 12 21 16 17 15 11 12 16 21 15 22 17 12 15 15 20 15 12 20 14 13 15 15 13 8 9 10 6 10 16 16

L 9 4 3 3 11 9 13 11 9 10 5 8 9 12 6 5 16 11 6 8 10 15 10 9 16 12 13 14 18 18 16 21 17 12 10

Pct. .310 .667 .730 .570 .520 .700 .550 .610 .630 .520 .710 .670 .700 .556 .786 .773 .429 .577 .714 .714 .600 .444 .667 .560 .448 .556 .536 .481 .308 .333 .385 .222 .370 .571 .615

Total:

438

333

.568

Coach Capt. Jack Davis (4-9, .310) Capt. Charles Patton (8-4, .667) Capt. George Fritts (8-3, .730) Capt. Mike McClellan Capt. Mike McClellan Capt. Mike McClellan Capt. Mike McClellan (53-36, .596) Capt. Bill Allen Capt. Bill Allen (32-20, .615) Capt. Luvon Fowler Capt. Luvon Fowler Capt. Luvon Fowler Maj. Luvon Fowler Maj. Luvon Fowler (75-44, .630) Capt. Bob Swanson Capt. Bob Swanson Maj. Bob Swanson Maj. Bob Swanson (66-38, .635) Capt. Kim Green Capt. Kim Green Capt. Kim Green Capt. Kim Green (62-39, .614) Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley Kim Gidley (165-187, .474)

Captain(s) Lisa Brightbill Lisa Brightbill Donna Lundquist Julie Grimmig Gail Cooper Gail Cooper Emily Reghy Ruth Denison, Rita Lane Tamaron Sharp Sara Beth Riddlehoover Tricia Heller Teri Cave Tatiana Stead, Layla DeStaffany Leslie Skinner D’Ron Longino, Jessica Talberg D’Ron Longino Laurel Scherer, Kim Schroeder Laura Simmons, Christine Rilovick Amanda Krantz Misty Holder Misty Holder Christel Helquist Julie Weiss Julie Weiss Kristel Chuntraruk, Brooke Parsons Brooke Parsons Heather Shelby Laura Nigro, Gina Black Katie Tomkie, Kat Bushey Kat Bushey Kelly Morgan Lauren Wilson, Erika Shortridge Christine Abayan Erlyn Rudico Christen Monreal, Sarah Cassman

Best Career Winning Pct. Career Coaching Records -Name Kim Gidley Kim Green Bob Swanson Luvon Fowler Bill Allen Mike McClellan George Fritts Charles Patton Jack Davis

Years 1998-present (13) 1995-98 (4) 1991-94 (4) 1986-90 (5) 1984-85 (2) 1980-83 (4) 1979 (1) 1978 (1) 1977 (1)

Wins 165 62 66 75 32 53 8 8 4

Losses 187 39 38 44 20 36 3 4 9

Pct. .474 .614 .635 .630 .615 .596 .730 .667 .310

# 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Name (Yrs) Bob Swanson (4) Luvon Fowler (5) Bill Allen (2) Kim Green (4) Mike McClellan (4) Kim Gidley (10)

Pct. .635 .630 .615 .614 .596 .474

Must have coached at least two seasons.

Most Career Wins

Jack Davis

Charles Patton

George Fritts

Mike McClellan

Bill Allen

Luvon Fowler

Bob Swanson

Kim Green

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# 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Name (Yrs) Kim Gidley (13) Luvon Fowler (5) Bob Swanson (4) Kim Green (4) Mike McClellan (4) Bill Allen (2) George Fritts (1) Charles Patton (1) 9. Jack Davis (1)

Wins 165 75 66 62 53 32 8 8 4


ACADEMIC / SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS Academic All-Conference Mountain West Conference (Div. I) 2011 Sarah Cassman Megumi Voight 2010

Sarah Cassman Christine Molina

2009

Erlyn Rudico Sarah Cassman Shannon Young

2008

Erlyn Rudico Sarah Cassman

2007

Erlyn Rudico Karissa Walker

2006

Kat Bushey

2005

Kat Bushey Karissa Walker

2004

Kat Bushey Liza Vaccaro Karissa Walker

2003

Kat Bushey Kelli O’Bryant Heather Shelby

2002

Kelli O’Bryant Brooke Parsons Heather Shelby

2001

Kelli O’Bryant Heather Shelby

2000

Mae Li-Amick Susan Doyle Kelli O’Bryant

Cassman

Young

Walters

Bushey

Parsons

Amick

Doyle

Mitchell

Academic All-American GTE Academic All-America Team 1991 D’Ron Longino (Third Team) Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete 2009 Shannon Young 2007 Karissa Walker and Jennifer Walters 2004 Karissa Walker 2003 Kelli O’Bryant

Walker

Laura Nigro was the recipient of the 2003 Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award for the Central Region, presented by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Kat Bushey won the 2006 Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award for the Central Region, presented by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Sarah Cassman was the recipient of the 2010 and 2011 Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award for the Mountain Region, presented by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Western Athletic Conference (Div. I) 1999 Kacy Mitchell

O’Bryant

Brooke Parsons won the 2002 Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award for the Central Region, presented by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Christen Monreal won the 2011 Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award for the Mountain Region, presented by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Rudico

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 19


SPORTS MEDICINE / HUMAN PERFORMANCE LAB The Sports Medicine Division is one of the newest and most important divisions in the athletic department. Headed up by Lt. Col. Gerald McGinty, the division is split into three major areas. They are the human performance lab, strength and conditioning and the athletic training rooms. The human performance lab develops team and individual performance improvement. Educational workshops to coaches and athletes which results in consistent high performances and outstanding performances for all the athletic programs at the Academy. The sports vision branch attempts to improve a player’s focus and concentration. Al Wile heads the branch which helps players work on certain visual aspects of the game. Although critics argue that you can’t improve

HUMAN PERFORMANCE LAB

a player’s sight, these skills improve a player’s ability to focus on the task at hand. The Academy’s women’s tennis team has benefited greatly from this specialized training. Buck Blackwood, who was recently named head strength and conditioning coach, has been at the Academy since 2003. He replaced Allen Hedrick, who was at the Academy for 13 seasons. Blackwood, along with assistant strength and conditioning coach Lt. Julie Rubino, and the staff make up computerized programs for athletes which tell them how much weight to lift, how many repetitions and when to increase in weight. Each sport at the Academy has its own lifting program. The athletic training department, under the direction of head athletic trainer Tony Peck, focuses on injury prevention, rehabilitation and on- and off-season workouts. The athletic trainers assist athletes with prevention by taping, bracing and completing thorough screening processes to help discover past injuries. The staff also assists with the on- and off-season workouts. Athletes have the luxury of having a fully-equipped athletic training room in both the Cadet Field House and the Cadet Gym. The athletic training room staff consists of 13 certified athletic trainers.

Athletes are taught at a very young age to take care of their body. Lift weights, run, eat healthy and the list goes on and on and on. But two very important pieces of the athletic puzzle are often left out. The mind and the eyes. Not at the Air Force Academy. Not at an institution where athletes compete at a very high level and rarely have the size and speed of athletes at other universities. This is where the Academy’s human performance lab can give athletes an advantage. The human performance lab in the athletic department falls under the direction of Lt. Col. Gerald McGinty and is headed by Lt. Col. Mike Zupan. Zupan, along with human performance coach Al Wile, operate one of the most sophisticated labs in the country and offer all its services to intercollegiate athletic programs. The lab conducts over 3,000 individual performance assessments annually and provides sports vision training to 17 major varsity sports. The lab’s database contains assessments of over 1,500 athletes, with the capabilities of providing coaches the chronological tracking progress annually of each one of his/her athletes. Body composition assessment using the “gold standard” hydrostatic testing (submerging underwater) method continues to be one of the most popular condition factors

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most coaches are utilizing. Many coaches utilize upper and lower Wingate testing to determine anaerobic power thresholds, a simple 30-second test of pedaling an ergometer on a predetermined load based on 50% of body weight for arms and 80% body weight for legs. Aerobic testing is accomplished utilizing a SensorMedics cardiopulmonary VO2 max assessment system with treadmill. The lab has recently purchased a Peak Performance biomechanics assessment system with infrared cameras to conduct body motion analysis. Other lab assessments include blood lactate testing, strength assessments and flexibility assessments. The lab has become the pioneer program in the country in the area of sports vision. This program is directed by sports vision coach Al Wile, who has been working with athletes at the Academy since 1980. The women’s tennis team has greatly benefited from the program. Other teams highly involved with the sports vision training include football, baseball, water polo, gymnastics, diving, hockey, lacrosse, fencing and soccer. Wile and his staff believe that vision training is where weight training was 15 years ago, as evidenced by the interest in the Academy program from world-class athletes, Olympic athletes, professional athletes and other intercollegiate programs throughout the country.


THE MOUNTAIN WEST From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West Conference has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the MWC continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level, while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship. Now in its ninth year, the MWC has been assertive in its involvement with the NCAA governance structure and has taken a leadership role in the overall administration of intercollegiate athletics. The Mountain West Conference is noted for its geographic diversity. Some of the most beautiful terrain and landscapes in the nation can be found within Mountain West Conference boundaries, including the majestic Rocky Mountain range, which borders four MWC schools (Utah, BYU, Air Force and Colorado State). The high plains of Wyoming (elevation 7,220 feet - the highest Division I campus in the nation) contrast with the desert city of Las Vegas (the fastest growing metropolitan area in the West) and the Pacific Ocean locale of San Diego State. The southwestern flavor of New Mexico complements the western heritage and culture of Fort Worth, Texas, home of the MWC’s newest member, TCU.

HISTORY The Mountain West Conference was conceived on May 26, 1998, when the presidents of eight institutions -- Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah and Wyoming -- decided to form a new NCAA Division I-A intercollegiate athletic conference. The split from the former 16-team conference re-established continuity and stability among the membership within the new league and signaled the continuation of its tradition-rich, long-standing athletic rivalries. Five of the MWC’s eight original members have been conference rivals since the 1960s (BYU, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado State), while San Diego State (1978) and Air Force (1980) were longtime members as well. UNLV entered the fold in 1996 and TCU began its first year of competition in 2005-06, completing the membership in the MWC as it stands today. When the MWC officially began operations on July 1, 1999, the new league had in place a seven-year contract with ESPN, giving the broadcaster exclusive national television rights to MWC football and men’s basketball, and three-year agreements to send the league’s football champion to the Liberty Bowl and a second team to the Las Vegas Bowl. Commissioner Craig Thompson also arranged a third bowl tie-in each of the first three years (1999 Motor City, 2000 Silicon Valley, 2001 New Orleans) before securing a four-year deal with the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco in 2002. An innovator in the postseason bowl structure, the MWC engineered many “firsts,” as league teams have participated in five inaugural bowl games (2000 Silicon Valley, 2001 New Orleans, 2002 San Francisco (Emerald), 2005 Poinsettia, 2006 New Mexico), as well as placing the first non-automatic-qualifying BCS team into a BCS bowl game with Utah’s appearance in the 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

EXPOSURE On Aug. 26, 2004, College Sports Television (CSTV) and the Mountain West Conference announced a visionary partnership that revolutionized the college sports landscape. The landmark agreement was the first NCAA Division I football and men’s basketball conference-wide deal for CSTV. The advent of the new television model gives the fastest-growing independent cable network exclusive rights to all Conference events, including cable and satellite television coverage, national over-the-air and satellite radio, video-ondemand and online broadcast rights. The CSTV/ MWC partnership has guaranteed greater levels of television exposure for all MWC sports and has resoundingly met the fundamental goals of more exposure, preferred start times and competition on select days of the week. A succession of events since the fall of 2004 have improved the new television model, including the CBS purchase of CSTV, and the merger with Comcast to create The Mtn. - MountainWest Sports Network. The relationship with Comcast also delivered a new national broadcast partner in VERSUS. The MWC was the first exclusive college programming provider for the Comcast-owned entity, with football and both men’s and women’s basketball games. In the summer of 2006, the centerpiece of this historic relationship was realized with the launch of The Mtn. - the first sports network dedicated to serving a single collegiate athletic conference 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Mtn. provides sports fans blanket coverage of MWC athletics across multiple sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s Olympic sports. The Mtn. features more than just live games and has added its own original programming. Fans get a comprehensive array of news, features and analysis about their favorite MWC teams and players. In 2006-07, more than 250 MWC events were shown live on The Mtn., CSTV and VERSUS. CSTV is currently available in over 65 million homes, while VERSUS is in more than 72 million households. With a “fans first” focus, each television partner ensures MWC constituents see more MWC sports at more convenient times and in more media platforms than ever before. The MWC has remained steadfast in its mission to promote the league’s athletic events to national and regional television audiences and will continue to grow its new TV model. Previously, ESPN served as the league’s inaugural official television partner, while in-house productions guaranteed coverage for several MWC Olympic sports. Through the league’s first eight years, excluding institutional local packages, 982 football, volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball events have aired on television, with 159 football games and over 132 men’s basketball contests broadcast nationally. The MWC is the only conference to have televised all contests from its volleyball and women’s basketball championships six of the past seven years, while baseball, softball and women’s soccer have had selected games from their respective championships televised in that span.

2010-11 MWC Women’s Tennis Review Final Standings Team (Overall) UNLV (20-5) Utah (16-9) San Diego St. (15-9) TCU (13-11) BYU (9-12) Wyoming (14-9) Air Force (16-11) New Mexico (8-15) Colorado St. (9-14)

Conference W L Pct. 8 0 1.000 7 1 .875 6 2 .750 5 3 .625 4 4 .500 3 5 .375 2 6 .250 1 7 .125 0 8 .000

2011 MWC Championships @ Fort Collins, CO

Wednesday, April 27 #9 Colorado State 4, #8 New Mexico 3

Thursday, April 28 #1 UNLV 4, #9 Colorado State 0 #2 Utah 4, #7 Air Force 0 #6 Wyoming 4, #3 San Diego State 3 #4 TCU 4, #5 BYU 1

Friday, April 29 #4 TCU 4, #1 UNLV 2 #2 Utah 4, #6 Wyoming 0

Saturday, April 30 #2 Utah 4, #4 TCU 1

The Air Force Academy hosted the MWC Tennis Championships for the first time ever in 2007. The Academy will host the tournament again in 2013.

Air Force Women’s Tennis 2011-12 -- 21


THE USAFA The United States Air Force Academy offers a four-year program of instruction and experience designed to educate, train and inspire men and women to become officers of character, motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service to our nation. Each cadet graduates with a bachelor of science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. COURSE OF STUDY Cadets are exposed to a balanced curriculum that provides the knowledge, skills and responsibilities essential to a career Air Force officer. The entire USAFA experience is integrated and mapped to achieve a set of desired outcomes in every graduate. The core academic curriculum includes courses in basic sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities. Cadets take additional elective courses to complete requirements for one of 32 major areas of study. About 50 percent of the cadets complete majors in science and engineering; the remainder graduate in the social sciences and humanities. Some of the most popular majors include management, aeronautical engineering, foreign area studies, history, behavioral science, civil engineering, astronautical engineering, electrical engineering and engineering mechanics. FACULTY COMPOSITION The majority of the Academy’s faculty members, more than 500 total, are Air Force officers. They are selected primarily from career-officer volunteers who have established outstanding records of performance and dedication. Each has at least a master’s degree and more than 55 percent have doctorates or other terminal degrees in their field of study. About 30 percent of the faculty are civilians who bring great depth of disciplinary and educational expertise and provide academic stability and continuity. Faculty members are intensely focused on cadet learning as an integral part of their officer development. The Air Force Academy has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for the most accessible and involved faculty for four years in a row. To provide greater contributions by a diverse faculty, the Academy has several distinguished visiting professors and endowed professors who serve one or more years. Officers from other services, as well as officers from allied countries are also members of the faculty. Distinguished civilian and military lecturers also share their expertise with the cadets during the academic year. ATHLETIC PROGRAM The Academy’s athletic program is designed to improve physical fitness, teach athletic skills and develop leadership qualities. To achieve its goals, the Academy offers some of the most extensive physical education, intramural sports and intercollegiate athletic programs in the nation. Cadets take at least three different physical education courses each year.

MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING An air, space and cyberspace-oriented military education, training and leadership program begins with basic cadet training and continues throughout the four years. Seniors are responsible for the organizational leadership of the cadet wing, while juniors and sophomores seek to develop team and interpersonal leadership and instructional skills. Cadets are projected into as many active leadership roles as possible to prepare them to be effective Air Force officers. Fundamental concepts of military organization -- drill, ethics, honor, Air Force heritage and physical training -- are emphasized the first summer during basic cadet training. Freshmen then study the military role in United States society as well as the mission and organization of the Air Force. Sophomores receive instruction in communication skills and juniors study the combat and operational aspects of the Air Force. The Academy offers courses in flying, navigation, soaring and parachuting, building from basic skills to instructor duties. Some cadets may fly light aircraft with the Cadet Flying Team. Summer training for cadets is divided into three, three-week training periods. There are a variety of programs available and each cadet is required to complete two training periods each summer with leave during the other period. All new cadets take six weeks of basic cadet training in their first summer. Combat survival training is a required threeweek program during cadets’ second summer. For other second-summer training periods, cadets have options such as working with Airmen in an operational unit at an Air Force installation, airborne parachute training, soaring or basic free-fall parachute training. During their last two summers, all cadets are offered leadership training as supervisors or instructors in the summer programs listed above. Extracurricular activities also are an integral part of the education program. The cadet ski club, drum and bugle corps, cadet chorale and forensics are a few of the programs available. NOMINATIONS Nominations to the Academy may be obtained through a congressional sponsor or by meeting eligibility criteria in other categories of competition established by law. For information on admission procedures, write to HQ USAFA/RRS; 2304 Cadet Drive, Suite 200; USAF Academy, CO 80840-5025.

www.usafa.af.mil

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HISTORY OF THE ACADEMY In 1948, a board of leading civilian and military educators was appointed to plan the curriculum for an academy that would meet the needs of the newly established Air Force. The board determined that Air Force requirements could not be met by expanding the other service academies and recommended an Air Force Academy be established without delay. In 1949, then Secretary of the Air Force W. Stuart Symington appointed a commission to assist in selecting a site and on April 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized creation of the United States Air Force Academy. After considering 580 sites in 45 states, the commission narrowed the choice to three locations. The summer of 1954, Secretary of the Air Force Harold Talbott selected a site near Colorado Springs, Colo. Colorado contributed $1 million toward purchase of the property. In July 1955, the first Academy class entered interim facilities at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, while construction began. It was sufficiently completed for occupancy by the cadet wing in late August 1958. Initial construction cost was $142 million. Women entered the Academy on June 28, 1976, as members of the class of 1980.


USAFA SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Lt. Gen. Michael C. Gould Lt. Gen. Michael C. Gould is Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. He directs a four-year academic, military training, athletic and character development program leading to a bachelor’s degree and commission as an Air Force officer. The general is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Class of 1976. His career encompasses a wide range of assignments, ranging from head football coach of the Air Force Academy Preparatory School, to serving as Air Force aide to the President of the United States. He has held numerous command positions at the group, wing and numbered air force level, and was commander of Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center during 9/11. Prior to his return to the Academy, he was Director of Operations and Plans, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. General Gould is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours in the T-38, T-41, KC-10, C-5, C-17, C-21, C-141 and KC-135R. The general’s military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Vice Superintendent Colonel Tamara Rank

Commandant of Cadets Brig. General Richard M. Clark

Dean of Faculty Brig. General Dana H. Born

Commander, 10th Air Base Wing Col. Thomas Gibson

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DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Dr. Hans J. Mueh Mueh has been just as successful behind the scenes with the administration of the department. Mueh restructured the department with an internal/external model that has streamlined resources and made the department more effective from top to bottom. In addition, he has the department on course to become a federally chartered non-profit organization which will lead to more fund-raising opportunities.

Dr. Hans J. Mueh is in his eighth year as the director of athletics at the Air Force Academy. A retired Air Force brigadier general, Mueh was vice dean of faculty for two years prior to his retirement from active duty in the summer of 2004. Mueh was heavily involved in Academy athletics before becoming director of athletics. He was the Academy’s faculty athletics representative from 1996-2004 and was a long-time member of the board of directors for the Air Force Academy Athletics Association. Since becoming the director of athletics, Mueh has led the Academy to some remarkable feats. In 2007, the Academy was one of only three schools (Michigan State and Boston College) to reach post-season play in football (2007), men’s basketball and ice hockey (2006-07). It marked the first time a service academy has ever had a team compete in the post-season in all three sports. In addition, under Mueh’s watch the men’s basketball team has played in an NCAA tournament and the National Invitational Tournament’s Final Four. Mueh hired current head coach Jeff Reynolds and helped him continue Air Force’s winning tradition last season. The ice hockey team has won three straight conference championships and made three straight appearances in the NCAA tournament. Mueh was on the selection committee that hired current head coach Frank Serratore and led the Academy’s move into the Athletic Hockey Association. The women’s basketball program has shown steady improvement and tied a school record with four league wins in 2006-07.

Mueh has also been active within the conference and the NCAA. He was recently selected to be part of the NCAA Division I Amateurism Cabinet and has been active on the NCAA’s academics/eligibility compliance cabinet, the men’s golf committee and the region 7 postgraduate scholarship committee. Mueh has been equally active within the conference on various leadership committees. He is currently on the awards and recognition committee and has previously served on the joint council executive committee, and committees on championships, television and sportsmanship. Before assuming his duties as vice dean at the Academy, Mueh was permanent professor and head of the department of chemistry at the Academy, a position he held since October 1987 where he oversaw the annual design and instruction of 25 undergraduate courses for 1,500 cadets annually. Mueh was born Jan. 8, 1944, in Celle, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in 1951. He entered the Air Force in 1962 as a member of the Academy’s eighth graduating class, and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry in 1966. While at the Academy, Mueh was a two-year letterwinner in soccer as a goalie. He still holds the Academy record for saves in a game with 30, accomplishing it twice in 1965 against North Carolina and Benedictine. In his junior and senior years, Mueh helped the Falcons to the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Soccer League championship and quarterfinal berths in the NCAA tournament.

The football program, the Academy’s flagship sport, went through a major overhaul. Mueh led the transition from the retirement of the legendary Fisher DeBerry after 23 years at the helm to hiring current head coach Troy Calhoun, a 1989 Academy graduate. Calhoun’s impact was immediate, leading the Falcons to a 9-4 overall mark and a second-place finish in the Mountain West Conference in 2007. The Falcons qualified for their first bowl game in five years, playing in the Armed Forces Bowl in 2007 and 2008.

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Following graduation, Mueh completed two assignments in intelligence before attending the University of Wisconsin where he earned his master’s degree in chemistry in 1970. He later earned a doctorate degree in chemistry from Wisconsin in 1976 as a distinguished graduate. He has also completed Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College and Air War College. Between earning the two degrees, Mueh returned to the Academy as an instructor in the department of chemistry from 1970-72. He also served as assistant soccer coach and played semi-pro soccer with the Aurora Internationals in Denver during those two years, leading the Internationals to the Colorado state title in 1971. He volunteered for duty in Vietnam and served as an intelligence officer in Saigon, Republic of Vietnam and at Nakhon Phanom RTAB, Thailand, in 1972 and 1973. After earning his doctorate degree, Mueh returned to the Academy in 1976 as an associate professor of chemistry. He remained at the Academy except for a stint in 1985-86 as the special assistant for technical matters at the Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon. In 1986, he assumed the position of acting head, department of chemistry, before being selected for his position of permanent professor and head of the department of chemistry in 1987. As faculty athletics representative, he was active in both the Western Athletic Conference and Mountain West Conference, and was the Academy’s representative on the transition team to form the new MWC, the only faculty athletics representative on the team. He competes in golf, racquetball, handball and tennis, and has promoted Air Force Academy intercollegiate sports throughout his tenure, beginning with work as chairman of the hockey eligibility committee, officer representative to the men’s golf team and five years as the officer representative to the football team. Mueh is married to the former Sally Flax of Cincinnati, Ohio. They have three children, Kristine, Kurt and Deborah.

Director of Athletics Dr. Hans Mueh is in his eighth season as the Director of Athletics. In 2006-07, Air Force was one of just three Division I schools to reach post-season play in football, men’s basketball and ice hockey and the first service academy to accomplish the remarkable feat.


USAFA ATHLETICS Few schools in the country have an athletic program as extensive as the Air Force Academy’s. The goals of the athletic program are to enhance the physical conditioning of all cadets, to develop the physical skills necessary for officership, to teach leadership in a competitive environment and to build character. There are three subdivisions of the athletic program: intercollegiate athletics, intramurals and physical education. The intercollegiate program has 17 men’s and 10 women’s NCAA-sanctioned teams, facing some of the top competition in the nation. Men’s teams are football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, cross-country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, rifle, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo and wrestling. The Academy fields women’s teams in basketball, cross-country, fencing, gymnastics, rifle, indoor and outdoor track, swimming and diving, soccer, tennis and volleyball. In addition, the Academy sponsors two non-NCAA programs; boxing and cheerleading. The majority of the Academy’s men’s and women’s programs compete at the NCAA Division I level in the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons compete in this conference against teams from Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, UNLV and Wyoming. All sports also compete against non-conference opponents, including many nationally-ranked teams. The football team competes annually for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, which is emblematic of service academy football supremacy. The Falcons have won the trophy 18 times, which is more than any other academy. The winner of the annual rivalry visits the White House to have the trophy presented by the President of the United States.

Vice Director of Athletics Col. Billy Walker

Associate AD Communications Troy Garnhart

Senior Associate AD External Affairs Jim Trego

Associate AD Recruiting Support William Carpenter

The USAFA Cadet Field House is one of the most impressive buildings in the country. It’s a modern, versatile structure with seemingly endless uses. The $5.6 million building is five stories high and 396 feet by 426 feet, the size of three football fields laid side by side. The structure is divided into three areas--basketball arena, ice hockey arena and multipurpose area. The three sections have a combined seating capacity of more than 9,000. Clune Arena seats 5,858. The Cadet Ice Rink has a seating capacity of 2,470, while the multi-purpose area seats 1,000 fans for track and field competitions. The department’s newest facility, the Holaday Athletic Center (above), was completed in July 2011.

Associate AD Finance John Coulahan

Associate AD Support Wayne Kellenbence

Associate AD Development / Gov’t Derm Coll

Associate AD/SWA Intercollegiate Programs Marti Gasser

Associate AD Human Resources Karen Warner

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